This invention relates generally to painting apparatus and processes for applying high quality automotive type paints to automobiles and other vehicles such as trucks or vans or the like. This invention relates more particularly to devices known generally as painting stands for use in supporting articles of body work or the like during the paint application process.
In many facilities engaged in activities such as auto body repair, auto restoration, truck body repair, and auto or van customizing, a need arises to paint some or all of the automobile, truck or van body parts. In most cases in which a high quality paint finish is desired, the need arises to separate the plurality of body components and accessory items such as fenders, bumpers, hood, trunk, trim pieces and fuel access door covers for the painting process. This disassembly of component body parts and accessories is undertaken to ensure that a high quality paint finish will be applied to major panel surfaces and to the surrounding edges of each body component. The painted pieces and components are then reassembled onto the vehicle resulting in a high quality paint job.
The paints utilized in such automotive and other vehicle painting processes are highly specialized paints formulated to provide an extremely high gloss smooth even finish free of defects and exhibiting great luster. As a result, the painting process must be undertaken with great skill and care to avoid defects such as runs or overspray which are exaggerated on such high luster paint applications.
In a typical painting facility of the type used in automotive truck and van body painting, a separate painting area usually enclosed and often referred to as a spray booth is provided. The enclosure of the spray booth helps to control the painting environment and provide the necessary lighting and ventilation for the painting application. In addition, the filtering systems operative upon the spray booth minimize the amount of dust or other airborne particles within the environment. In addition, one or more air-driven spray guns each coupled to a supply of compressed air by long flexible hoses are operated to apply the paint itself.
The art of spraying such high gloss mirror-like finishes on the often multiply curved multiply faceted components typical of vehicle body parts is a matter of great training and skill. A major factor in achieving such skillful paint spraying is the provision of proper lighting together with the ability to easily move and reorient the articles being painted. A skilled spray painter watches the light reflected off an article as the paint is sprayed thereon to gage application of the paint. Preferably, the article being sprayed is movable to be viewed at a critical angle which allows the spray painter to observe reflection off the accumulating paint. The paint spraying activity is a demanding activity in which mistakes and mishaps can be extremely costly to rectify. One of the more critical elements in this demanding environment of the spray booth is the painting stand used to hold the article or articles being painting. Ideally, the paint stand supports the article or articles being painted in a manner which avoids entanglement with the plurality of compressed air hoses operating the spray gun or spray guns as the painter moves about while providing easy preferably one-handed manipulation of the supported part by the painter.
Faced with the critical need for aiding spray painters in painting such body parts or articles, practitioners in the art have provided a virtually endless variety of paint stands known under different brand and product names. Some of these devices are highly specialized being specifically designed for a single type of article such as bumpers or the like. Others, however, are more generally fabricated for use on a variety of articles and are little more than supporting racks having a plurality of hooks extending therefrom for hanging parts during painting.
One such typical painting stand is manufactured by Brut Manufacturing Company in Navarre, Ohio under the product name Deluxe Bump-Bench which provides a plurality of converging upwardly extending U-shaped elements supported by a center post on a rolling base. A tilt handle secured to the base is provided for portability.
Other similar devices manufactured by KNO:GREEF MANUFACTURING in Edmonton, AB Canada under the product Ultimate Auto Body Parts Stand provides a combination stand for a variety of parts having a T-shaped base and an extending center post which vertically supports a multiply articulated arm set for receiving and securing the to-be-painted articles.
Examples of more generally used rack-like devices are provided by DAR-A-CON Industries, Inc. in Monett, Mo. under various product names such as Tilt Table and Portable Scissors Table.
A typical paint stand of highly specialized use for supporting vehicle bumpers is manufactured by Steck Manufacturing Company under the product name Bumper Tree which provides a paint stand having a fixed X-shaped base supporting a vertical post upon which a similar X-shaped member is supported for receiving bumpers or similar articles.
While the prior art devices such as those described and identified above have provided some improvement in the art and enjoyed in some instances commercial success, they are generally limited in their functionality and are, for the most part, subject to several faults. For example, such devices often fail to provide a solution to the vexing problem of involvement or entanglement with the compressed air hoses utilized in supplying compressed air to the paint sprayers within the booth. This problem is major in its impact in that a typical spray painter often becomes fully involved in paint application and spray gun manipulation moving about the articles being painted and fails to prevent the entanglement of such hoses. One unfortunate tug on an entangled hose which tips over a paint stand having articles thereon can erase much of the profit anticipated in the painting activity. Other limitations found in the prior art devices is their need to be so highly specialized in structure that a great number of such devices are required within the spray booth. This, of course, tends to clutter the booth and make painting activities more difficult. A still further limitation of the prior art devices is their tendency to occupy a great deal of space within the facility when not in use. Finally, and perhaps most critically, such prior art devices fail to provide easy one-hand manipulation of the articles during painting necessary for an efficient and high quality painting operation.
Thus, there remains an unresolved and unfulfilled need in the art for a more efficient, cost effective, versatile and useful painting stand.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved painting stand for vehicle parts. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved painting stand for vehicle parts which is extremely versatile and effective in supporting a plurality of differently shaped parts and body components in a variety of orientations. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved. painting stand for vehicle parts which is capable of compact, space-saving storage by being fabricated for nesting with other similarly fabricated painting stands.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a painting stand for supporting one or more vehicle body parts or accessories for spray painting, the painting stand comprising: a base having a base frame and a plurality of casters for rollingly supporting the base; a vertical post supported by the base frame and extending upwardly therefrom; a post extension slidably supported by the vertical post and having an upper end; height adjustment means for securing the post extension to the vertical post at a selected height; a support rack having a cross member and a pair of wings each having a lower portion and an elongated attachment bar defining a plurality of apertures therein, the said support rack having means for adjusting the position of the pair of wings; a pivot bracket supporting the cross member; a pivotal attachment pivotally securing the pivot bracket to the upper end of the post extension; and a gas spring coupled between the post extension and the pivot bracket.